Machine for cutting blooms and the like



'July 23,1946. R. J. scovlLL, JR

MACHINE FOR CUTTING BLOOMS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 18, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Paw! 1501 44/9,

y 9 1946 R. J. SCOVILL. JR ,4

MACHINE FOR CUTTING BLOOMS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 18, 1945 4 Sheets-Sham. 3

' Y INVEN'TOR." 60x41 J fiwr/zzJa Tram 0f Jilly 5- R. .1.v SCOVILL, JR I 2,404,600

MACHINE FOR CUTTING BLOOMS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 18, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 v IN V EN TOR. Eomz Jam/14w.

Patented July 23, 1946 UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR CUTTIBTGVBLOOMS AND, THE LIKE Royal J. Scovill, Jr., Gary, Ind. Application February 18, 1943,, Serial No. 476,346 4 Claims. (01. 266-23) This invention relates to a, machine for and method of cutting metallic articles, and particularly to an improved machine for and method of cutting hot blooms and the like by means of ox acetylene cutting torches or blowpipes.

Heretofore, in the steel industry it has been the general practice to form blanks for railroad car wheels which are later forged into shape by means of a wheel press, from cylindrical blooms about 18 inches in diameter, by means of a metallic beveled edge disk which is forced into and through the hot bloomwhile the same is rotated so as to cut the same into a plurality of individual car wheel blanks. Such a practice of, cutting the blooms is unsatisfactory for the reason thata spiral of metal is formed on the sides of each of the blanks during, the cutting thereof, from the bloom so that a. cambered or conical surface resultsjon each side of each of the blanks. Such cambered surface or spiral formation on the ends of the blanks not only interiere's' with'the forging of the. same into car wheels in thejwheel press but also, t terferes with the preheating of the blanks in that when the, blanks. are forced endwise' in abutting relationship throu h the p116? h atin iurn ce, e line o v blanks ue. t such am red end s rfaceste d to, bu le; while bein orc rough t furnace whic ijoi co i o ject o able.

t has. now en proposeditocut hot blooms nto cal-wheel lanks by ineansof. ext-acetylene c tt g t rc es or hlowpipes bu f he cutting of. a hot, b1 om. w chis usually between, 1180 a d 2000 degrees F., by such a means, is'not'periormed at t e p op r speed, erly cut from each e al wi l r sult alo e the bottom of th out. through the bloom, which of course, is objectionable, in that unbalanced car wheel blanks are obtained; It hasbeen found thatif the speeclof the cutting ofthe hot bloom by the oxy-acetylene torches;- or blowpipes can be controlled thenan ven. and s gh ut wil be obt ined nd a the blanks would be completely "severed; from each other and any washing away of the metal the b anks will notbe pmhoth r r a Wa h ng away of speed of cutting of the torches or blowpipes is controlled throughout the cutting operation.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved apparatus or machine for cutting blooms and the like into blanks by means of oxyacetylene torches or blowpipe which is simple and inexpensive in its construction, and, at the same time efiicient and efiective in its use, and a machine which will cut. the workpiece into blanks in a minimum amountof time. It is. still a further object of this invention to provide. an improved means for: controlling the speed of cutting-while cutting hot blooms and the like into blanks. bymeans of oxy-acetyiene cutting torches or blowpipes.

It. is a more specific. object oil this invention to provide an improved apparatus or machine for, cutting. blooms and the like into blanks wherein there is provided a pluralityof oxy-acetylene cutting torches or blowpipes which cut simultaneously the bloom or workpiece into a plurality of blanks at, a controlled rate of cutting.

It is still another object. of the present invention to provide an improved method of cutting hot wblooms and the like into a plurality of individual blanks'by means 01' oxy-acetylene torches so as to provide blanks having substantially straight and even, cut end surfaces;

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will bemore apparent in the course of the following specification and will be particuat the bottom of the cutwou'ld be eliminated and tisfactory lanks would, he provided} and. it. is e's ch a m i and m the '.iniwh chthe;speed ficu ne the torc s r' ewp pesis ontre ed th t h p ent"inven ihnr at s. J r

ccordingly, i sthe-ge eral'obl ct cf;them s-v c ib: invention to pr vide; improved app ratus or ma hin for utting, bloom s ithe. like. into b anks; y means; f? Oxya e lene. ntt nat ah or bl wpi cs ncorpo ated. therew th inwn h. th

larly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown, for the purpose of illustration, an embodiment which myinvention may assume in practice.

In thesedrawings:

Fig; 1 is a plan View of the improved machine or my: invention; v

Fig. 2: is aside elevational: view thereof; I

Figr 3 is a. sectional View taken on line III.I'II of: Fig. 2;

Fig, 4 is an isometric view of: the mechanism for controlling the, movement: and cutting speed oftheftorches; and

Figs" 5. through 9. are schematic views. showing pmgressively' the movement, of one of, the torches through onecycle of the cutting operation to,

gether with the linkage for actuating the same.

Referring more, particularly to the drawings,

is mounted a: carriage 4 having wheels 5- which '7 cooperate, with the, rails to guide the. carriage i'nits movement. Oht'opbi thevcar'riage t there is mounted another carriage 6 having wheels I which cooperate with rails 4* carried by the carriage 4 to guide the carriage 6 in its movement in a direction at right angles to that of the movement of carriage l.

There is mounted on the carriage B, a rectangu- 1 lar-shaped movable frame-like member 8, sometimes called a grasshopper. Toward the forward to a transversely extending shaft I 2 suitablyjjour f 1 the outer ends of a pair of similar-upwardly ex 5 ;-tending link members M which are securely at- 1 l tached to a transverselylextending shaft i5 which is also suitably journaledin the carriagefi at the rearend of thecarriage. The linkmembers 1 l4 extend preferably to 'a' point. below-the shaft l5 and-there is arranged in the lower ends of the 3 link members M a transversely, extending member l5. Q There is positioned on'thelcarriage 6 below the frame-like member 8; preferablya double actin'g hydraulic cylinder ll withtheouterlend of the piston rod [8 thereof pivotally connected to the transversely extendinggmemb'er lfifias at 19.

There is also arranged 'on the carriage 6 below the 1 frame-like member 8, a double acting pneumatic Zcylinder having-a .gearfrack' Zlfdispose'd on the outer "end of the pistonrod 2 Zthereof. v There ismounted on the shaft I 5, a gear segment 23,

which .meshes' with the i gear" rack 2 i whereby i the framef-like member 8 is movedrby the pneumatic cylinderifi in a manner and for a purpose hereinafter to be described.

There is mounted'on a transversely extending member ZZfarrang edf n the front endaof. the

frame-like member 8,aplura1ityof spacedapai't ioxy-acetylene cutting torches or blowpipes 25.

Each ofthe torches is molmtedon a bracket member 25 whereby each'ofthe bracketstogether naled in the front-end of the carriage'fi. rear-end of the frame-like member {l is-also, PiV.-; otally attached at either side thereof as at 3 to source of supply of oxygen and acetylene (not shown).

At the front or forward end of the frame-like member 8 directly opposite and below the torches .25, there is positioned a cradle 33 consisting of a plurality of spaced apart arcuate-shaped arms 34 which are mounted on a transversely extendings haft-like member 35. There is arranged with eachofi t he arcuate-shaped members as, a pinion gearifi which meshes preferably with a gear rack 3? disposed on the top side of the transversely extending member whereby each of the memf bers 34 may be moved and adjusted along the transversely extending member 35 for a purpose hereinafter to be described. The arcuate-shaped members 34 are adapted to support the bloom or article to be cut and there is mounted on the ;with'the torch carried thereby may be adjusted fboth vertically and longitudinally of the transversely extending member Y 24. Tobalance the frame-like member 8 and the weight of the torches 25 together with the transverse member 24, there may be'provided a counterweight (not shown); r

The transversely extending memberZ l is preferably journaled in the front end of the'framelike member 8 as at 21. There is arrangedintegrally withthe transversely extending member 24, preferably a pair of spaced apart upwardly extendingarm-like members 28 with the upper end of each of the arm-like members connected to the frame-like member 8, by means of a link member 29. The outer end of each of the link members 29 is pivotally connected with the upperend of the arm-like members 28 as at 30 and the innerend of each of the link members 29, is pivotally connected to the upwardly extending members Hi, to either side-of the frame-like'member has at 3!. It is the purpose of the-link'member 29 'to oscillate the transversely extending 7 scribed. Each of the torches as fc onfnected to a plurality of oxygen and acetylene supply' line s 7 i3 2 "which'in turnareconnected to a'suitab'le extreme outer end of each of the arcuate-shaped members,.preferably a cross-piece 54 There is positioned preferably on the endcf the transversely extending member 35 at one side of the cradle, an upwardly extending arm-like stop member 38 against which the end of the bloom or workpiece is adapted to abut so as to properly position the same in the cradle. The outer ends of thetransversely extending member 35 are preferably j ournaled as at 39 in suitable journals arranged in front of the carriages 4 and 6 so that the cradle, i. e., the member 35 together with the arcuateshaped members-i l carried thereby, may be oscillated. The cradle33 oscillated preferably by means of a double a'cting hydraulic cylinder 40 positioned in back of the cradle adjacent the frontend ofthe carriage]; andtherebelowwith the outer end of the pistonjllof the cylinder pivotally connected to the cradle 33 asat 3g. 7 7

There is mounted on the carriage l below the carriage 6, a double-actinghydraulic 5 cylinder 43, with the outerfend of the piston 4.4jthe'reof connected to the front endof the carriage 6 as at 45 for moving the same togetheriwith the frame-like member 8 and the torches 2-5 carried thereby toward and away from the cradle [33 and the bloomor workpiece, B to beout positioned therein.' At the forward or, front .end of the carriage Bj'there is positioned preferably a of the out. It will be understood that it is't'he purpose of the frame-like member 8 to move the torches 25. carried thereby in substantially an arcuate path so that the tips of the nozzles ,of' the torches will be spaced substantially the same I distance" from theouter surface of the work-.

' pantograph andthe torches 25 carried: thereby ,jl 5, 'the' 'speed.oflthemovemeht ofIthefra'm I m'emberqfi is controlled by thehydraulicicylind r V l'l'in' a'mannr which' wilfno'w "be 'des'ciilibe d."

piece orfthe bloom during the entire time of the cutting thereof. In other words, the frame-like member '8 ha an action similar to that of a are made to travel in an arcuate path partially around the periphery on' the top side thereof so thatthe nozzles of the torches arespaced at all times at anypoint in their travel at the proper cutting range; of distance from the workpiece.

' While the frame-like member 8' is moved'fan'd made to oscillatesothat thetorches 25',tr'avel in. an arcuate "path by'm'eans 'of' the pneumatic cylinder 20. through the action of the gear rack 21 and the gear segment 23, carried by the shaft The s rhv s d eii o fl d Supply e i" h ch in hepis t e O e d of th inder l1, and there is arranged in this oil or fluid supply line, a control valve 48. and a check valve 49. There isalso arranged in fluid supply line 41, an oil supply tank or reservoir 50 for maintaining a supply of oil continuously in the fluid supply line in a ,well known manner.

The fluid pressure in the cylinder I1 is controlled by the movement of the frame-like member 8 through a linkage arrangement; and speed control 'mechanism and a timing mechanism which will now'be described. The speed control mechanism for regulating the flow of oil in the cylinder H, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings, is preferably located at the rear end of the apparatus and to one side thereof and consists preferably of a housing or supporting member 60 in which there is positioned a gear train 6|. There is carried by the supporting member or housing 60, a drum 62 which is arranged With one of the gears of the gear train. Around the periphery of the drum 62, there is disposed a cable 63 which passes over' and around a pulley or idler sheave 64 which is mounted preferably on an upwardly extending arm-like member 65 carried by the frame-like member 8. The inner end of the cable 63 is attached to the periphery of the drum 52 and the outer free end of the cable is attached preferably to the housing 60 as at 66. On a shaft 61 rotatably carried by the housing 60 having a gear of the gear train 6| disposed thereon, ther is arranged an integrator consisting preferably of a magnet 69 which is disposed preferably in a receptacle 69A which, in turn, is arranged on the outer end of a shaft 61 journaled in the housing 60. The device functions somewhat similar to a fluid device except that the medium through which the forces are transmitted is magnetic flux in: stead of a fluid. There is also arranged on the shaft 61, a spiral spring 68 having the inner end thereof connected to the periphery of the shaft 6! with the outer end thereof connected to an annular gear 'member 1i) rotatably mounted thereon which is in mesh with a worm 10a suitably mounted on the housing 60 to hold the disc H! in the desired position. There is also mounted on the shaft 61, a contact finger or pointer II. There is mounted for rotative movement preferably on the outer side of the housing 60, an

annular member 14 having a pair of spaced apart contact fingers 15 between which the end of the pointer or hand H is floatingly positioned and with which it is adapted to cooperate in a manner hereinafter to be described. There is rotatably mounted on a shaft 16 carried by the housing 60 at a point preferably on the outer side of the housing adjacent and to one side of the annular member 14, a diskelike member 16 around the periphery of which there is disposed a cable 11 which also passes over and around the annular member 14 whereby the disk upon rotative movement thereof rotates the annular member 14. There is arranged with the disk 16 preferably a spiral spring 94, one end of which is attached to the disk 16 and the other end to the shaft 16, which tends to rotate the disk in one directionon the shaft I6 for a purpose to be described. 1 a

There is arranged on the outer side of the housing 60 preferably at a point'directly below the disk member Hi' and the annular member iiin tabl s ce ape ea in s 18 ied,

athe housing 60,. areqie o tiiie 19d]? hav ng e h ii e s he 3 'en i i h m mber '4 s ive e nh q ed t9 h iipwe 1y ii ehd h m iii as t 6 a ri d. hr he in s 8 w er b h ed 19 w ther w t hese.-. 9 Will he. m ed re ih ese l 49 i; the hiere i of t e hemeike me b 8 hi iig i e of nka ii! ind The is she ihei h h ha t hi an a tache t lr ieiehie 2 n for rhiaiiph the ew t a dr i i 9.5991 1 is. a und wh c i di p s cable 9 hariiis th inner and ihe ee cgn q e to e pe hery of the l' l ii w th the 0111191 a 0f the abl tached to a roller or cam follower $3 which is ap to coop r t h t am ii iece i Of h am fi- Q m hw i s i ci i hahiy mounted in a vertically positioned slideway 9? atta h d s the i e. o hhu e' ii hu t is seen that downward movement of the cam folow du i g the fir h l of he h i h stroke winds the spring 94 to increase the tension therein and thereb maintains follower Q3 in cqiitahtwi ha s e-9 i i s t e as half of the cutting stroke r the torch.

It w ll he u d rstood at s the pos f he on act m m e s. 5 t eth h the he iorder for the contacts and the pointerto control h s valve ther s r i a reversing me e 81 which is connected preferably to a suitable relaypanel 8B towhich the contacts and the pointer are also connected. The motor 81 is connected preferably to a gear reducer 89 having a pulley 98 arranged therewith. Adjacent the motor 81 and the gear reducer 89, there is suitably mounted a shaft -9I having one end thereof connected to the valve 48 for opening and closing the same. There is mounted on the shaft Ql, a pulley 9? directly opposite and in line with the pulley 90 of the gear reducer 89 and there is disposed around the pulleys 9B and 92, a belt 93 whereby the shaft 9| is rotated upon rotative movement of the pulley 9B of the gear reducer 89 through the action of the motor 81.

The improved apparatus of my invention functions in the following manner: The blowpipes or torches 25 are first adjusted along the transversely extending member-24 so that the torches 25 are spaced the proper distance apart in order to cut the workpiece or bloom into pieces of desired number and size. The arcuate-shaped members 34 of the cradle 33 are then properly positioned along the shaft-like member 35 so that they are disposed between the torches 25 whereby the flame issuing forth therefrom will not contact the'arcuate-shaped members. For ease in setting up the machine, the areuate members 34 may be set up properly with respect toone another and then the truck or carriage 4, may be moved by means of a hydraulic cylinder (not shown) so that the torches are disposed between the arcuate-shaped members 34. It will be understood that it is the purpose of the arcuateeshaped members 34 to support the bloom while it is being cut and likewise to support the individual pieces into which the work:

niece 9i h sqih' i -3 t s he eiiii i s-hiieiet ha workpiece.

the gear segment 23. the torches 25 aresupplied with a suitable source f oxygen and acetylene through the lines 32 land are lighted immediately before the frame workpiece. V :movement of the frame-like member 8 together with the torches carried thereby, is controlled by the hydraulic cylinder I! which counter-acts jthe movement of thejframe-like member by the :cylinder"28.' It will be understood that oil is j maintained in the cylinder I1 at all times by" the "means of lines 41, and that upon movement of the frame-like member 8, the oil is forced'from the head'end of the cylinder l1 by'the action of the piston l8 thereof upon movement of the frame-like member 8 t which it is attached, through the line 41 and back through .the control The stop member 38 is then set so that the desired crop will be cut from that end of the workpiece. The workpiece or bloom B, is then posi- When the bloom or cylinder 48 which rotates the transversely extending member together with-the arcuateshaped members 34 mountedthereon. The carf riage 8' together with the frame-like member 8 I and torches '25 carried thereby, is then moved forwardly by means of the hydraulic cylinder 43 untilthe outer free ends of the arm-like members 46 strike the inner side of the bloom. or This positions the torches 25 initially relative' to the workpiece or bloom for the start fof the cutting operation.

The frame-like member 8 together with the itorches 25 carried thereby, is then set into operation and it will be understood that due to the construction and the movement of'the framelike member .8, the tips of torches 25 carried 7 thereby, will move in an arcuate path substantially circumferentially aroundthe top side of the workpiece or bloom'when links l0- and [4 are through the action of the gear rack 2| and It will be understood that like member is set in motion for cutting.

It is important that th .cutting operation be performed at a predetermined velocity and this versus position of the blowpipes 25 relative to the varying cutting thickness of the bloom or To obtain such cutting action, the

valve 48 and into the opposite end of the cylinder 1 H. 'Any diiferential in the volume'of the oil in ,th line '4'! and cylinder H is compensated for bymeans of the supply tank or'reservoir 58. When the controlvalve 48 is partially closed,it will'be seen that the oil in the head end of the cylinder ll will not pass therefrom" through thelines '41 as fast as it would if the valve were fully opened.

In other words, the frame-like fnemb er 8 will move slower when the control valve 48 approaches its closed position for the reason thatback pressure is built up in the head end of the-cylinder I"! thereby tendingto prevent outward movement of the piston [8 which in turn prevents or slows down the movement of the frame-like member 8 together'with the torches 25 carried thereby; As

has been hereinbefore explained, the opening and closing of the valve 48 is'controlled by means of the motor 81, through the action of the gear re-' ducer 89, belt 99 and the shaft 9| which is con-' nected directly to the valve. his the purpose of the check valve 49 to permit a free flow of the oil through th line from one end of the cylinder to the opposite end thereof, when the frame-like member 9 is returned quickly to its normal or starting position after the cutting operation.

by the contacts 15 and the finger H which are connected to a suitable source of electrical power through the relay panel 88. like member 8 is moved, the cable 63 which is connected thereto by means of the sheave 84 rotates the drum 62 and through the action of the gear train 6! rotates the shaft 87, together with the magnet 69 carried thereby. In other words linear input produced by the motion of the frame-like member 8 is reduced to a rotary motion by means of the cable 63 and its associated parts. The magnet 88 in turn tends to rotate the'receptacle 69 on the end of "shaft 6! but the rota tion of the receptacle is opposed by the reaction of the spiral spring 68. The torqueproduced in the receptacle 69 is directly proportional to the speed of rotation of the magnet Was this torque tends to rotate the shaft ,8! and the contact finger or pointer 11 carried thereby limits this rotation to the movement of the end of the pointer or contact finger between the contacts 75 For a given,

speed if the torque produced bythe magnet 69 is sufficient to overcome the counteracting torque produced by the spring 68, the pointer will rest against one contact.

torque produced by the spring 68, the pointer will rest against the other contact.

It will also be seen' that as th frame-like'memher 8 moves, it in turn moves the rod 19 together with the cam 80 carried thereby in a horizontal plane through the action of the linkage 8| and 84.

As the cam 80 is moved,- the cam surface 99 .thereof moves the roller or follower 98 in a vertical plane and the disk-like member '18 is rotated by the vertical pull exerted on the cable 96; As the disk 78* rotates, it in turn rotates the annular member 14 upon which the contacts 15 are'posi tioned. It will be understood that it is the purpose of the spiral spring 94 to maintain the cam follower 98 against the cam surface 99 of the cam 88 at all times. r

i Th controlv valve 43 normally assumes a partially closed position and if the speed of the frame-dike member or pantograph 8 is too slow,

the pointer H through the action of the magnet 69, the shaft 61*, the gear train 6| and the cable 63 will be moved into engagement with one of the contacts 15 of the annular members 14 so as to complete-the circuit through the relay panel 88 whereby the motor ,8! is nergized and the conj When the frame-- If the torqu produced by the magnet is not sufficient to. overcome the 9 frame-lik nfiember 8 and the torches 25, carried thereb t more a e e Thi creases' the speed of the frame-like member 8 and through the action of the cable 63, the shaft {51,- the pointer 1| and associated parts is moved out of contact with that contact member 75 and moved toward and into contactwith-the opposite contact member 75. At this point, another circult is closed through the relay panel 88 and the motor 81 is again energized to rotate the motor inthe opposite direction so as to move the valve toward its closed position. This decreases the speed of the frame-like member a and the pointer H moves out of contact with the contact mem ber; whereby the motor is dye-energized; lt will be understoodthat the contaot finger ll normally floats betweenthe contact fingers and it is only when the movement of the frame-like mem ber'tis too fast or too slow that the contact finger comes, in contact with the contact 15 to either slow down the movement of the frame-like mom:- ber together with the torches 25 carried thereby or to speedup the same as the case may be. It

will be understood that the cam 8E) is designed so that the proper cutting speed of torches or blowpipes 25 is obtained for the particular round or piece of metal adapted to be out; In the present case, there is shown a cam, for controlling the movement of the cutting torches or blowpipes for cutting a hot bloom 18" in diameter as rolled between about 1800 to 2000 degrees F. into a plurality of individual pieces so as to form car wheel blanks. After the bloom or workpiece has been cut into a number of individual pieces, it will be seen that each of them is supported by one of the arcuate-shaped members 34 and that during the cutting operation, the flame from the torches 25 passes between the same. At the end of the cutting operation, the frame-like member together with the torches carried thereby is made to travel in a revers direction, so'as to move the torches 25 back to their initial or retracted position away from the workpiece or bloom and in position for the next Cutting peration. It will be understood that the frame-like member 8 is moved in such reverse direction by means of the pneumatic cylinder 20 through the action of the rack 21 and the gear segment 23. After the frame-like member 8 together with the torches 25 carried thereby is moved to a retracted position away from the bloom or workpiece, the

cradle 33, is tilted or oscillated by means of the hydraulic cylinder 40 so that the individual pieces into which the bloom has been cut, roll over the outer or forward end of the arcuate-shaped members 34 and are removed from the cradle. There is positioned in front of the cradle 33, preferably any suitable receptacle for receiving the out pieces as they roll or drop from the cradle. The machine or apparatus is now in position for receiving the next bloom or workpiece to be cut. If desired, an air or gas jet (not shown) may be incorporated with each of the arcuate-shaped members 34 for the purpose of blowing the slag clear from between the blanks at the cuts through the workpiece.

It will be understood that the length of each of the members I0 and I4 is adjustable as shown in Figure 2 so that the forward end of th framelike member 8 can be adjusted vertically for cutting various size rounds. It is the purpose of the linkage 28 and 29, as more fully shown in Figs. 5 through 9 of the drawings, to tilt the transversely extending member 24 together with the torches or blowpipes 25 carried thereby, so that 10 the cuttin fiame'o' fthe torches will be disposed gularly relative to the axis of th workpiece or ;b1ooni at the start of the cutting operation and at the end thereof. It is desirable to have the linkage 28 and 29, each in itself adjustable asv to length so that the angularity of the torches relative to the bloom may be varied as desired especially as the torches approach and move away from the bloom or workpiece. Such an arrangement prevents washing away of the metal at the bottomof the cut thereby providing clean's'quare out through theworkpiece; It will be understood that e the function ofthe cam in bearingand controlling the cutting speed within clos limits makes it possible to cut hot steel where the total cutting time is approximately one-third of that re uired tocut a similar piece of cold metal or steel, This reduction in time reduced by practically the same ratio, allowable variationsjin speed for good cutting and therefore, requires much more accurate control. Also, the si Ze and shape of the cam 80 may be changed and varied to satisfy the workpiece being cut. rne' arcuate movement and variable speed of the torches or blowpipes required for straight and clal cutting of hot blooms or workpieces (1800 to 2000 degrees 13.) wherein the thickness of the metal being cut is variable'is hereby accomplished. A

As a result of my invention, it will be seen that I have provided apparatus for efficiently and effectively cutting blooms into a plurality of individual pieces so as to provide blanks which have perfectly straight and clean cut surfaces so as not to interfere with any future working of the blanks. While my machine is designed primarily for cutting cylindrical pieces, it will be understood that it may be used if desired for cutting a workpiece having a square, hexagonal, elliptical or other cross section.

While I have shown and described one specific embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that this embodiment is merely for the purpose of illustration and description and that various other forms may be devised within the scope of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A machine for cutting articles of the class described comprising, torch cutting means, re-

ciprocable means for holding said torch cutting means, means for moving said reciprocable means to move the torch cutting means transversely of and at a spaced distance from the workpiece to be out, means for controlling the movement of said reciprocable means, means responsive to the speed of movement of said reciprocable means for controlling said reciprocable means controlling means, and means responsive to the position of said reciprocable means for varying the response of said speed responsive means.

2. A machine for cutting articles of the class described comp-rising, torch cutting means, reciprocable means for holding said torch cutting means, means for moving said reciprocable means to move said torch cutting means transversely of and at a spaced distance from the workpiece to be cut, hydraulic means for controlling the movement of said reciprocable means, means responsive to the speed of movement of said reciprocable means for controlling said hydraulic means, and means responsive to the position of said reciprocable means for varying the response of said speed responsive means.

3. A machine for cutting articles of the class described comprising, torch cutting means, re-

11 ciprocable means for holding said torch cutting means, means for moving said reciprocable means to move said torch-cutting means transversely of and at a spaced distance from the workpiece to be cut, hydraulic means for controlling the 'movement'of said reciproca-ble means, means re- I described comprising, torch cutting means, a

frame-like member carrying said torch cutting means,. means for reciprocably moving said frame-like member to carry the torch cutting means in an arcuate path at a spaced distance from the workpiece to be cut, a hydraulic cylinder which counteracts the movement of the frame-like member'by said last mentioned means, I a valve for controlling the flow of the fluid from the hydraulic cylinder whereby the pressure therein is controlled, electrical means for actuating said valveso as to open and close the same,

an electrical circuit connected to said electrical means for energizing the same to move the valve toward its open or closed position, a pairof opposed contact members arranged in said circuit,

12 and contacting means arranged in said circuit which is responsive to the speed of movement of the frame-like member and which is adapted to cooperate with said contact members to close the circuit whereby the speed of the 'frame-like member together with the cutting torches carried thereby is adapted to be controlled, said contacting means adapted to contact one of said contact members so as to close the circuit therethrough whereby the electrical means is adapted to move said valve toward its open position so as to permit an increased rate of flow of the fluid from the hydraulic cylinder so that the framelike member travels at a greater rate of speed, and said contacting member adapted to contact the other of said contacting members so as ,to close the circuit therethrough whereby the electrical means is adapted to move said valve towardits closed position so as to decrease the rate of flow of the fluid from the hydraulic cylinder so that the frame-like member travels at a slower 

